HCM City now home to 80,000 South Koreans

HCM CITY (VNS)— HCM City is a symbol of not only the spectacular development of Viet Nam but also the sound economic co-operation between Viet Nam and the Republic of Korea (RoK), visiting President Park Geun-hye has said.

During a working session with the Secretary of the Municipal Party Committee, Le Thanh Hai, the RoK President cited that more than 1,800 RoK businesses are operating in the city and over 80,000 RoK nationals live in this southern economic hub of Viet Nam.

Hai, who is also a politburo member of the Communist Party of Viet Nam ( CPV) Central Committee, described President Park's visit as a significant contribution to consolidating the fine relations between Viet Nam and the RoK.

He said that HCM City has enjoyed close ties with a lot of RoK partners, many of whom have operated effectively in the locality.

Ties between HCM City and RoK partners exist not only in trade, investment and tourism, but also in expanding cultural and people-to-people exchanges, he said.

Hai expressed his hope that in the future President Park will pay more attention to support RoK enterprises investing in Viet Nam and HCM City in particular.

President Park noted that at first, RoK businesses focused on the garment and textile sector and light industry, however, as the investment environment in HCM City improved and developed, RoK businesses have expanded their operations to various sectors with high added value like high technology, electricity and heavy industry.

She said she believes that in the future, more and more RoK businesses will invest in HCM City and Viet Nam's southern provinces, and hopes that the municipal authorities will give more attention and support to them, helping them to make bigger contributions to the economic development of the city.

Sharing her impressions of Viet Nam, President Park said through meetings with Vietnamese leaders and people, she can feel the in-depth friendship and mutual trust between the two countries that have developed for the last two decades.

In particular, the economic co-operation process between the two countries has significantly contributed to improving the living conditions of people from both countries, she added.

On the occasion, President Park visited Hansae Vietnam Company in Tay Bac-Cu Chi Industrial Park and had a meeting with the RoK business community in HCM City. — VNS